Seatavern

Join us for Darkroom Contemporary’s annual fundraising event and the highly anticipated South African premiere of Blue Funk, the award-winning screendance work by director choreographer Louise Coetzer Blue Funk charts the physicality of being afraid. As chain reaction, fear settles over its targets, exposing their innate sentient responses of freeze, fight, fawn, and flight. The resulting cacophony evokes the volatility of this moment in time, a mounting pressure edging towards its breaking point. Created in response to the aftermath of the pandemic, its relevance is increasingly potent in today’s uncertain climate - a visceral expression of internal revolution, in response to the unknown.

Each screening will be followed by an artist talk, with Director/Choreographer Louise Coetzer, Musician & Editor Eben Smal and Director of Photography Oscar O’Ryan, in conversation with Dr Gerard Samuel (UCT Centre for Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies) and Marco Morgan (Urban Planner & Programme Manager).

Created in 2023, Blue Funk has since toured the international festival circuit, making history as the first South African film selected for the prestigious Cinedans Festival (Netherlands). It has earned multiple accolades including Best Choreography Awards at Utah, Boston and Exeter Dance Film Festivals (USA & UK), Best of Festival Award at Third Coast Festival (USA), Best Screendance Film at Berlin Shorts Awards (Germany), and Best Female Director Award at Mirada Corta Festival in Mexico City.

Blue Funk features an original score by Haezer, with cinematography by Oscar O’Ryan, and features Darkroom Contemporary dancers Bronwyn Craddock, Lwazi Mzimase, Gabrielle Fairhead, Mukovhe Monyai, and Christopher Sherwood-Adcock.

Celebrate South African creativity, invest in future-forward dance, and be part of this one-night-only cinematic event.